Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project resulted in several submission of internal and external grants (listed below). In addition, there were numerous undergraduate students who contributed to the project in a research capacity through University of Nebraska-Lincoln UCARE funding (listed below). External Grants Submitted: Not Funded Huddleston-Casas, C., Churchill, S.L., Plano Clark, V.L., & Moore, K. (2006) Ecological Tool for Rural Child & Family Policy. Submitted to: Rural Initiative Community of Scholars, NU Rural Initiative, $27,500. Submitted: 5/2006 Churchill, S.L. Rural child care in the context of welfare reform. To: Smith Richardson Foundation, $60,000. Submitted: 6/14/02 Huddleston-Casas, C., Churchill, S.L., & Plano Clark, V. (2006). Ecological tools for rural child and family policy. IANR Rural Initiative Community of Scholars. Amount: $27,500. Not funded. Huddleston-Casas, C., Churchill, S.L., Prochaska-Cue, M.K., Bosch, K., Creswell, J., Plano Clark, V., Moore, K. (4/05). Nebraska's children in their ecological context: A mixed methods study. ARD Interdisciplinary Proposal. Amount: $20,000. (Not funded) UNL Internal Grants Submitted: Funded Churchill, S.L., Creswell, J., Prochaska-Cue, K., & Bosch, K. (5/2004). Rural Nebraska Women and Their Well-Being: A Mixed Methods Analysis. Funded by the College of Education and Human Sciences, Multidisciplinary Research Initiative. Funding amount: $25,000. Bosch, K., Boeckner, L., Churchill, S.L., & Prochaska-Cue, K. (5/2002). Rural low-income Nebraska Panhandle families: Monitoring their well-being and functioning in the context of welfare reform. Funded by the College of Human Resources and Family Sciences. May, 2002-May, 2003. Funding amount: $20,000. Undergraduate Creative Activities & Research Experiences Grants - UNL Internal Funds Churchill, S.L., Prochaska-Cue, K., & Cue, Amanda. (2003-2004) Mental health of rural women. UCARE proposal, $2,500. Churchill, S.L., Prochaska-Cue, K., & Uber, Kimberly. (2003-2004) Mental health of rural women. UCARE proposal, $2,500. Churchill, S.L., Prochaska-Cue, K., & Cue, Amanda. (2001-2002) Family profiles of rural women in Nebraska. UCARE proposal, $2,000. Churchill, S.L., Prochaska-Cue, K., & Uber, Kimberly. (2001-2002) Family profiles of rural women in Nebraska. UCARE proposal, $2,000. PARTICIPANTS: Cathey Huddleston-Casas Vicki Plano Clark TARGET AUDIENCES: Professionals in human sciences fields Extension specials in human sciences fields PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
This year, Susan Churchill and Cathey Huddleston-Casas were the leading members of a team which wrote a new multi-state project to explore research questions unanswered in NC1011. The previous multistate projects (NC223 and NC1011) focused on general family well-being, which included some health indicators. Health, however, was not the primary focus and therefore a limited amount of health related information was collected, constraining the nature and depth of possible health-related conclusions. Despite this, research findings to date clearly indicate that health is a crucial element of rural family well-being that requires further exploration. For example, Simmons, Huddleston-Casas, and Berry (2007) found that rural low-income postpartum women were unlikely to recognize their depression. Another study found that health insurance status and having a regular doctor enabled rural low-income women to access a physician when needed (Simmons, Anderson, & Braun, 2008). These data suggest that more detailed health information will provide further insight into the challenges facing rural low-income families. In addition, because NC223/1011 designated family location according to rural-urban continuum codes (Butler & Beale, 1994), the projects were uniquely positioned to capture the nuances of individual, family, community, and policy influences on rural health. Few national data sets make this distinction, in favor of broad categories such as metropolitan and non-metropolitan or urban, suburban, and rural. However, these broad categories do not allow for a more in-depth understanding of how local variations in geographic regions affect family health and well-being. The current project will continue to use a precise measure of rurality in order to draw on the previous data as well as collect additional data to help explain the physical and mental health of diverse rural low-income families.
Publications
- Churchill, S.L., Huddleston-Casas, C., Prochaska-Cue, K., & Plano Clark, V. (April, 2008). Rural low-income mothers invested in family fun: A mixed-methods analysis. Family Strengths Conference, Newcastle, Australia.
- Work in Progress: Huddleston-Casas, C., Braun, B., Dolan, E., & Bauer, J. W. (2008). The Ecology of Labor Force Participation among Rural Low-income Families. Manuscript in preparation for Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal.
- Huddleston-Casas, C. A., Charnigo, R., & Simmons, L. A. (2008). Household food insecurity and depression over time among rural, low-income women.
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Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Researchers on the project have published two journal articles, one research bulletion, and made one national/international presentation. The audiences for these publications are primarily reseachers in social science fields.
PARTICIPANTS: Kathy Bosch Susan Churchill Cathey Huddleston-Casas Kathy Prochaska-Cue VIcki Plano Clark
Impacts
The publications and work on this project have led to the Nebraska researchers involvement in developing a new multi-state project following up on the data from NC223/NC1011. Impacts of the new project will improve the health of rural women and children. The current publications indicate that we can impact rural women's well-being by increasing the availability of family activities within the community. Rural women report that time spent with their families in outdoor activities is especially valuable. Our research bulletin reports indicate that Nebraska differs from the other states in the multi-state project with the Nebraska sample more likely to be married, have more children, have higher education, and more likely to be employed. This highlights that even with a common definition of rural, as in this multi-state study, the differences across the communities may be just as important as or even more important than the differences within the communities. Recent policy
perspectives/writings have highlighted the importance of place (Blank, 2004) in making policy, especially for rural areas. Where a person lives and the unique contributions of that place will impact how effective a national policy is.
Publications
- Plano Clark, V., Huddleston-Casas, C., Churchill, S., Green, D., & Garrett, A. (2008). Mixed methods approaches implemented in family science research. Journal of Family Issues.
- Churchill, S.L., Plano Clark, V., Prochaska-Cue, K., & Creswell, J. (2007). Family fun as reported by rural low-income women. Journal of Leisure Research, 39(2), 271-294.
- Churchill, S., Prochaska-Cue, M.K., Bosch, K., & Huddleston-Casas, C. (2007). Nebraska Family Demographics of the Multi-State Project "Rural Low-income Families: Monitoring the Well-being and Functioning in the Context of Welfare Reform". University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Bulletin RB348. Available on-line at www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/sendIt/rb348.pdf.
- Prochaska-Cue, M.K., Huddleston-Casas, C., Churchill, S., & Bosch, K. Economic Security of Nebraska Families in the Multi-State Project "Rural Low-income Families: Monitoring their Well-being and Functioning in the Context of Welfare Reform." University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Bulletin. To be submitted in December 2007.
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Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
The Nebraska team is currently working to disseminate the results of the this project. Several publications ahve been submitted (see publications) and a research project with an undergraduate student has been initiated (Churchill, S.L., Plano Clark, V., & Pleiss, M. 2006-2007. Wal-Mart's effect on rural social activities. UCARE proposal, $2,000.). Several members of the team have also taken leadership roles within the multi-state project and are working on objectives for a new project after the completion of NC1011.
Impacts
The team's current research publications indicate that rural families inhabit unique ecological niches within their respective states. For example, Nebraska's rural population is unique within the multi-state project (yet representative of Nebraska) demonstrating that policy must be implemented within the context of the unique place of the population of interest. In addition, the team has identified family fun as a unique indicator of well-being within the data set. The publication within the Journal of Leisure Research identifies some specific programming & policy suggestions. Further research in this area is being conducted by the team. Finally, the team is gaining recognition as authorities in the multi-method field. The project itself and the team's publications & presentations are exemplary examples of multi-method work.
Publications
- Churchill, S.L., Plano Clark, V., Prochaska-Cue, K., & Creswell, J. (2007). Family fun as reported by rural low-income women. Journal of Leisure Research.
- Churchill, S.L., Prochaska-Cue, K., Bosch, K., & Huddleston-Casas, C. (2006, submitted). Family Demographics of the Multi-State Project: Rural Low-income Families: Monitoring the Well-being and Functioning in the Context of Welfare Reform, Nebraska vs. 13 Other States. ARD Research Bulletin.
- Plano Clark, V., Huddleston-Casas, C., Churchill, S., Green, D., & Garrett, A. (2007, submitted). Mixed methods approaches implemented in family science research. Journal of Family Issues.
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